Happy 21st Birthday Uist & Benbecula A&F Club
by John Love
B&F June 2016
The 21st year of the Uist and Benbecula Accordion and Fiddle club draws to a close. It began with the launch in the Dark Island of a celebratory booklet and CD/DVD entitled ‘The First Twenty Years’. This handsome production pulls together a short history of the club with fond portraits in words and colour photographs of some of our most loyal members. These include late founder members such as Duncan MacLellan and Kenny MacDonald, other tradition bearers such as Donald Gallacher and Angus john Monk and some of our current youngsters, Lee MacDougall from North Uist, Kenny MacKillop from Berneray and the Walker brothers, Niall and David from Howmore. Well over 100 locals, musicians, dancers and audience attended the rousing ceilidh and tucked into a celebratory cake. Tributes were paid to three much loved Club members who had sadly passed away just a few months earlier: Gaelic singer and bard Lachie Morrison from Grimsay, the amazing button-box player Angus Alec MacDonald from Baleshare and our Treasurer Jeni Henton from Aird, Benbecula.
The winter season continued with the regular fortnightly ceilidh nights in Griminish Church Hall. As is now our custom some members played at the Uist and Barra Hospital just before Christmas, and later in the New Year at Uist House and Trianaid. In February we were invited to host an evening of music, song and dance at the Harris Hotel in Tarbert where Club regulars were joined by local musicians and a very accomplished young accordionist from Shetland on holiday with her guitarist boyfriend.
With each successive gathering numbers swell and we were particularly delighted when the talented children on Iain and Anne MacDonald and Allan and Morag Henderson joined the club. As soon as young musicians begin showing a commitment to their instrument, they are presented with a polo shirt or sweatshirt bearing the Club logo. Cousins Joanna and young Grace play the fiddle while Niall and Donald are adept on the button-box; young Donald also plays the chanter. With ample opportunities to learn already being offered by Ceolas and the Feisean the Club is able to provide the opportunity for these youngsters to play alongside older members and carry on the traditional Uist style. Alex MacDonald from Gramsdale and Padruig Morrison from Grimsay are now amongst our strongest accordionists, with Lee and Kenny hot on their heels. It seems to that our latest young members will not be far behind them.
The new season will begin at the end of September / early October 2016 – so look out for posters.
The winter season continued with the regular fortnightly ceilidh nights in Griminish Church Hall. As is now our custom some members played at the Uist and Barra Hospital just before Christmas, and later in the New Year at Uist House and Trianaid. In February we were invited to host an evening of music, song and dance at the Harris Hotel in Tarbert where Club regulars were joined by local musicians and a very accomplished young accordionist from Shetland on holiday with her guitarist boyfriend.
With each successive gathering numbers swell and we were particularly delighted when the talented children on Iain and Anne MacDonald and Allan and Morag Henderson joined the club. As soon as young musicians begin showing a commitment to their instrument, they are presented with a polo shirt or sweatshirt bearing the Club logo. Cousins Joanna and young Grace play the fiddle while Niall and Donald are adept on the button-box; young Donald also plays the chanter. With ample opportunities to learn already being offered by Ceolas and the Feisean the Club is able to provide the opportunity for these youngsters to play alongside older members and carry on the traditional Uist style. Alex MacDonald from Gramsdale and Padruig Morrison from Grimsay are now amongst our strongest accordionists, with Lee and Kenny hot on their heels. It seems to that our latest young members will not be far behind them.
The new season will begin at the end of September / early October 2016 – so look out for posters.